Tears in the Trail

[AFK]

It can be difficult to want to move forward, when all you see are potholes and tears in the trail ahead.  No not tears, tears, rips, chasms, breaks.  There is no crying in abject uncertainty. 

I think many have been feeling this, for the past 7 years or so.  Quite a few give voice to their fears and apprehension about the future.  But even more have swallowed it in the name of ideological loyalty or just not wanting to be labeled a heretic, or worse, a terrorist.  And no, it's not just The War, it's more than that.  The happy times of joy and surplus of the 90s seem so far away now.  It's kind of like we were having this 8 year party, we drank a bit too much, and passed out.  So now, in 2008 many are finally sobering up and realizing what's been transpiring during this 7 year hangover. 

The regret is starting to sink in.  The  "Oh My God, what the fuck did I do last night?" questions are emerging.  And it isn't just the mortgage brokers and the over-extended home owners.  It's pretty much, to a man, everyone.  Those who aren't questioning are certainly delusional and should be checked into an institution.  They will be the lucky ones, along with, perhaps, the dead.

But will the future really be that bad?  It's hard to tell for sure.  But at this current juncture, viewing the different paths before us, as a collective of humanity, there certainly doesn't appear to be any easy road to travel.  There seemingly are choices between physical safety and financial ruin, between global strife and a flourishing currency, between cheap energy and Ocean Front property in Vermont. 

And so we are in this time of confounding confusion and uncertainty.  What steps do we take next?  Who do we appoint to lead the way?  How much do we surrender to our leaders to lead?  And perhaps the most important, what can and will we do to master our own individual destinies?  Because, in my estimation, how that last question is answered in the years to come, will be the actual determination of where we end up.